Garland Model from the Michigan Stove Co.

By George Bulanda

Published: July 31, 2012

1952

Before becoming the motor city, detroit was a red-hot center for stove manufacturing. In fact, the city was home to the world’s largest stove. Built in 1893 for display at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the 25-foot-high, 15-ton Garland model from the Michigan Stove Co. stood for years on East Jefferson near the Belle Isle (now MacArthur) Bridge before being moved in 1965 to the Michigan State Fairgrounds. In this photo, the range is emblazoned with the Detroit-Michigan Stove Co. logo, a result of the merger of the Detroit Stove Works and Michigan Stove Co., which in turn became the Welbilt Corp. in 1955. The behemoth was dismantled in the ’70s, but a restored version returned to the fairgrounds in the ’90s. In August 2011, the hulking silver-and-black landmark caught fire, apparently from a lightning strike. It burned quickly because, although it was painted to look like metal, the stove was constructed of oak.